Once in a Lifetime(26)

“I work here,” he reminded her.

She sighed. “And thanks for that, by the way. It’s really amazing how much you got done last night. It looks good.”

He nodded in acceptance. “My turn to ask a question now,” he said, and pushed off the wall, closing the distance between them.

“Uh…okay. But maybe we should set limits—”

“No limits. Here’s my question. When are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

Oh, boy. “That’s a pretty widely scoped question.”

“You’re right,” he said. “Let me narrow it down for you. Start with the list, and why you’re going around town talking to people. Did you become a Jehovah’s Witness or something?”

That startled a laugh out of her. “I think that’s two questions.”

His eyes warmed a little. “And?”

“And…no. I’m not a Jehovah’s Witness.”





Chapter 9



Ben laughed, and when he did, Aubrey took another step back—right into the wall. She frowned at him as though it were his fault, which made him want to laugh again. Instead he studied her, a little surprised to realize that she was truly flustered by him.



This was fascinating. He knew it wasn’t often that she allowed her feelings to show. Hell, he’d have said it wasn’t often that she actually felt anything. She was one tough, smooth cookie. She always had been, all through school, even when she faced off against the mean girls or the stupid guys who thought she’d put out just because of how she looked.

She’d gotten even tougher. Inscrutable.

But then he’d kissed her. He’d had her in his arms, and he knew damn well she’d been feeling plenty.

So had he.

But today it was more than lust. He was making her nervous, and he decided he liked that, too, much more than he should.

Mostly because she made him a whole hell of a lot of things, including—of all the ridiculous possibilities—jealous of a happily married pastor. He had to wonder what the connection was between Mike and Aubrey. The list?

And why did he care so much? The answer to that was unsettling, to say the least. She was getting under his skin—big-time.

He shouldn’t have kissed her.

She was wearing a pretty dress, some silky forest green wraparound thing that hugged her curves and brought out her eyes.

And Christ, how it was that he was noticing such shit, he had no idea. She was a job to him right now, nothing more, nothing less.

Which didn’t explain why he couldn’t take his eyes off her mile-long legs when she turned and put some distance between them. She walked to the open space between the last row of bookshelves and the closet he’d removed and then squatted down and began to set out a bunch of squares.

A layout, he realized as she arranged them. She was working on a layout now that she had the funding she’d so desperately needed.

He looked around and realized something else. After he’d made a bit of a mess last night, she’d swept up. Dusted. And gotten rid of the last of the shit lying around from the old bookstore. She’d been working hard.

Really hard, he realized, getting a closer look at her, seeing the signs of exhaustion beneath her eyes and in the tightness of her mouth. Exhaustion and worry. “You’ve been busy,” he said.

“Why do you sound surprised? It’s my store.”

He didn’t know why he was surprised, exactly. “I guess I don’t see you as the local friendly merchant type,” he said.

“Should I even ask how you do see me?”

He knew better than to touch that one.

At his silence, she made a low sound of annoyance. “You don’t know me, Ben,” she said, making him feel like an ass as she went back to her little squares, toeing some things around, giving off an I’m-very-busy vibe.

But he did know her. Or he was starting to. He knew how very much this store seemed to mean to her. Knew that whatever that list was, it, too, meant a lot.

And he knew she kissed and tasted like heaven on earth.

Not that she wanted to hear any of those things from him. “Are you sure you want things so open?” he asked, and she jumped, clearly startled to realize he was right behind her now, looking over her shoulder down at the arrangement.

“I want to encourage socializing,” she said stiffly. “I want people to have a place to go.” She didn’t look at him. “I want people to feel comfortable hanging out here so they won’t be alone.”

This made his heart squeeze, because he thought maybe she was the one who felt alone. “Why do you think people are so alone?” he finally asked, sincerely curious.

“Everyone’s alone at some point.” She glanced back at him. “You know that.”

Because he’d lost Hannah. Holding her gaze, he gave a slow nod. “And you think a bookstore can make people feel…not alone?”

“I think having a place to go can help.”

“Getting unlonely isn’t about a physical place,” he said.

“Well, I know that.” Breaking eye contact, she once again went back to her layout. “But it’s a start.”

He watched her play with the arrangement of the squares for another moment. “Why such a wide path between the seating areas?” he asked. “You could have more merchandise in here if you close it up, even a little.”